The present invention relates to a new and distinct pentaploid hybrid Vaccinium (blueberry plant) cultivar grown as a fruiting woody shrub for commercial agriculture. Blueberries are typically consumed both fresh and in a number of processed products.
The new and distinct pentaploid hybrid variety of blueberry (Vaccinium Linnaeus) plant originated from the hand pollinated cross of ‘US 226’ [tetraploid (2n=4x=48 chromosomes), a hybrid of Vaccinium corymbosum Linnaeus×V. myrtilloides Michaux] (unpatented)×‘Premier’{hexaploid (2n=6X=72 chromosomes) [(V. virgatum Aiton (syn. V. ashei Reade)]} (unpatented) made in 1980 in Raleigh, N.C. ‘US 226’ was an early blooming and early ripening genotype that produced medium size and rather soft light blue fruit during highbush blueberry (V. corymbosum L.) ripening season on a plant that was highly resistant to phytophthora root rot caused by Phytophthora cinnamoni. ‘Premier’ is the standard early ripening rabbiteye blueberry (V. virgatum Ait.) cultivar grown commercially in North Carolina. (Early ripening rabbiteye cultivars start ripening about four weeks after early ripening highbush cultivars.) ‘Premier’ also blooms early and produces large size high quality light blue fruit that is medium in fruit firmness on a very vigorous plant that is resistant to phytophthora root rot.
Seeds from this hand pollination were germinated in winter 1980/1981 in Raleigh, N.C., and 35 seedlings were established at Jackson Springs, N.C., in 1982. When the seedlings reached maturity in 1986, an elite genotype designated as ‘NC 2849’ was selected for its vigorous erect plant habit, productivity, fruit size, color, picking scar, firmness, quality and early maturity by James R. Ballington. ‘NC 2849’ was by far the superior genotype of the two seedlings in the progeny of 35 that produced attractive blue fruit.
During 1987 the original seedling of ‘NC 2849’ was propagated by hardwood stem cuttings in Raleigh, N.C., and following rooting, single three plant plots were established at Jackson Springs and Fletcher, N.C. in 1988. Based on its performance in these initial trials, in 1996 it was propagated by softwood stem cuttings and established in a replicated trial at Castle Hayne, N.C. It was also established in a grower trial at Ivanhoe, N.C., under a Memorandum of Agreement whereby the grower provided the land and care of the plants and North Carolina State University retained ownership of the variety. Plants and fruit of this new variety have remained true to type through these successive cycles of asexual propagation. This new variety has been named the ‘Robeson’ cultivar.